Ways to be Kind

Top Five Ways to be Kind

Here are the five top ways to demonstrate your kindness and to contribute to building a more caring, compassionate community in Ottawa:

1. Give

Share your good fortune by donating to a charity, but remember that many charities need more than money. Donate blood, stem cells, or cord blood. Become an organ donor. Give your loyalty points to a charity. Donate your clothing, house-wares or furniture. Bring your gently used toys to shelters for abused women and their children. Or bring the toiletries you collect from hotel stays to local shelters for the poor or homeless.

2. Volunteer

Volunteer your time, energy and talents to help a worthy cause. There are many wonderful organizations in our community who rely on the kindness of volunteers to provide programs or services in our city. Volunteering is a wonderful way to give back to your community by lending your unique skills to a group in need.

Get in touch with Volunteer Ottawa to register as a potential volunteer for current or future opportunities!

3. Say thanks

Take the time to say thanks to the people who help you every day – from the bus drivers who take you to and from work, to the coffee shop and restaurant staff who serve you, to the police officers and security guards who strive to keep you safe and free from harm.

And the next time someone opens the door for you, helps you carry your bags, or does anything extra special for you, express your appreciation.

4. Celebrate kindness

There are countless people in our community who are kind everyday: Nurses, doctors, hospital workers, home health providers and the relatives and neighbours who care for others at home or close to home. Acknowledge their kindness. Tell them you value their generosity and caring. They deserve the recognition.

5. Pay it Forward

The next time someone is kind to you, make a conscious effort to pay that kindness forward by being kind to another person. That way, you multiply the impact of kindness. You feel good, you help another to person feel good and you make a positive difference in the daily life of our community.

*Donate blood, register to donate stem cells or cord blood, and become a future organ, eye and tissue donor.” Does this work? Or perhaps it would be better to put; “Donate blood, stem cells, cord blood, and in future organs, eyes and tissues. Visit Canadian Blood Services to learn more at http://www.blood.ca

I am a woodworker in the Otttawa area with woodworking tools. Leave some wood with me and I will build you something. Just let me know what you want to have built and I will do my best to have that fulfilled.

Where do we find a list of those looking for volunteers? My family is new to Ottawa and unfortunately, I heard about Kindness Week an hour after it was wrapped up. I don’t see it on the facebook page either. I follow Volunteer Ottawa, but was hoping to have a go-to list of places. Thanks 🙂

I was in the drive-thru line at Tim Hortons, waiting to pay for my order, and the car in front of me paid before I had the chance! This was so kind, and completely random, and it made my day. Since then I have returned to favor to 3 different unsuspecting coffee drinkers at the same Timmies drive-thru. Just wanted to say it feels great to be able to contribute to Kind Ottawa. Spread the love